Beautiful rings, one from her grandmother, one from her man

I love my little daisy’s splash of color

Here we get to know the loving couple a little better:

- Where did you meet?
We first noticed each other at a halloween party at a mutual friends house.

- What was your first impression of him?
“Who is that goofy guy wearing a sheet ghost costume?”

- What was your first impression of her?
“This girl in the yellow dress is lookin’ nice! Better go talk to her.”

- What did you do for your first date?
Our first date was a double date with another couple. We went to Marble Slab, and then to a movie.

- When did you know he was the one?
When my grandmother passed away a few months after we started dating. He was so wonderful and caring. I knew he was the man I wanted to spend my life with.

- When did you know she was the one?
I always knew she was the one.

- How did he propose?
We were going to Austin for the Austin City Limits music festival in September and while we were there he took me up to Mount Bonnell and proposed at the peak.

- What do you love the most about him?
His caring, fun loving nature. He is so good at finding the humor in almost every situation.

- What do you love the most about her?
She keeps me from acting a fool while being sweet about it. Lord knows I need the help!

- What’s the secret to your happy relationship?
We talk about everything!!!

Stay tuned for their upcoming wedding!

Pleasantly full and ready for the big day ahead, everyone met over at Trey’s mother’s gorgeous home in Old Town – where puppies were underfoot, hairspray was thick in the air, and light curls of smoke could be seen over a flat iron or two:

Properly coifed, we made our way downtown to First United Methodist Church – beautiful historic building, where the bridesmaids and bride applied the finishing touches:

I love this moment between Amy and her mom:

Wow, you’ll never see a more gorgeous bride.

Oh, and Trey was there too!

The Fabulous Tamara Menges of Tamara Menges Designs fastens one of her signature boutonnières to Trey:

Everything perfect, the moment has arrived:

More next time!

This year we wanted to make the blog posts a little more personal, so we’re including some questions and answers from Mr and Mrs Trey:

What was your favorite memory of the day? Of course marrying my honey was the best part. Next to that, my favorite memory was getting ready in the church dressing room with my moms and bridesmaids. The girls and I made a deal that if one of us fell during the ceremony, all of us would fall, that way no one got embarrassed…. Luckily no one fell.

What was your favorite detail? My favorite detail was my “Something Blue”. It was my nephew, Christopher’s, favorite blue binky and it was placed in my bouquet. He passed away from cancer a few years ago and he is sorely missed. It was important to me to have his memory incorporated into the ceremony and I know he was there in spirit.

Do you have any advice for future brides and grooms on the big day? Stay calm, it’s just a wedding.

Funniest moment from your wedding day? It would had to of been during the ceremony when my niece, Prudence, asked me why I was dressed like a princess.

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again? Yes. I would’ve tried the food at the reception. I was running around the whole time and I didnt stop to eat.

Where did you go on your honeymoon? Las Vegas, Nevada and Pagosa Springs, Colorado!

More next time!

That is one great life-time clench on her man

I’m out of town this week for the Foundation Workshop, a week long intensive photography bootcamp – it should be fun and I should learn a lot – see you when I get back!

That leads me to the next bit of news: I’ve been accepted into the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA), an International, membership-based organization representing professional photographers skilled in the documentation of weddings and events in a candid, unobtrusive style. As a WPJA member, I join the ranks of some of the most talented wedding photojournalists in the world as judged by their technical, creative and visual aptitude.

I’m both honored and elated to earn membership acceptance into the Wedding Photojournalist Association – as the only photographer in Southeast Texas to have my work alongside the WPJA’s esteemed collection of professional wedding photojournalists is a monumental accomplishment.

I know Lindsey, right?

Next up, a note to say Marius is shooting full-time with us now – we’ve been shooting weddings all over Southeast Texas for 4 years now, it’s about time All of our brides and grooms have gotten to know Marius and the stellar work he produces day in and day out. If you’ve seen wedding photos here, about a third of them are his. I am still limiting my couples to one a month this year, Marius is doing about the same. What’s good is we’ll still be shooting for each other in each other’s weddings and we can’t wait to get started!

Last bit o’news: Marius and I have re-doubled our efforts to improve as photographers this year and in the coming year – it’s straightforward to spend $$$$ on new equipment, we’re doing that , but we’re also investing $$$$ in training and education. For the past year (plus) we’ve been mentoring with the best wedding photographers in the world – associated with the Foundation Conference and Workshops, our mentors are recognized worldwide in their talent and ability. We understand the responsibility entailed in covering your day and the trust you’ve placed in us, we feel you deserve professional results. It will be interesting to see how much we improve this year

Below are a few more of our favorites from 2011, stay tuned as we finish strong this year with an engagement session or 2 and some beautiful fun weddings!

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Sam’s unique image came toward the latter part of her New York City Bridal Session from Brooklyn to Little Italy, Park Avenue, Central Park and Top of the Rock. She literally stopped Manhattan traffic (on the same day of President Obama’s UN visit, no less) to get a once-in-a-lifetime image

Her wedding images are posted below, click the link above this image to see the fun she and two of her best friends Beth and Danielle had in NYC late September!

Stacey and Jeremy’s feature photos came from their “Day After Wedding Beach Session in Galveston” (see link for more gorgeous photos of the couple). Their outdoor wedding day survived a couple of torrential rain downpours, so we took the opportunity to photograph them in a more relaxed setting all dressed in their bridal finery, and yes, ironically, get even more wet

Pretty, huh? Something they will treasure forever I understand they are expecting an addition to their family soon, congratulation Jeremy and Stacey!

The temp dipped into the 20′s this morning – a little late for a Texas White Christmas (frost on your windshield ), but still cold for those not used to it. I’m working on wedding albums and recent bridal and engagement sessions, perfecting them while staying warm inside

2010 was too fun! A bridal session in New York City, engagements all over – Austin, Galveston, Houston and especially right here in Southeast Texas, my couples were the best! Kyra and Ian, Ashley and AJ, Celina and Matt, Mona and Michael, Krystal and Ross, Kimberly and Kyle, Shane and Lauree, Amy and Sam, Johnna and Adam, Christina and Eric, Ashleigh and Tyne, Samantha and Blake, Erin and Michael, Kay and Aaron; remembering our times together brings a smile everytime. Some are already working on building families… it’s great to be a part of such an important part of their lives and I value the trust they put into us to capture those times.

In 2010 we’ve been published locally (look for us in the January edition of VIP) , nationally and internationally (if you count Canada and Europe ) – it’s good to receive those honors and recognition of our work, but the best is seeing our clients eyes light up when they get to see the TLC we deliver with their images each and every time.

In looking ahead to 2011 – in order to deliver the type of service we’d love to give our clients, we’re only shooting one wedding a month. That means when you book with us, you’re booking the whole month! That said, we’re nearly full now, we can take a couple more in late summer/early Fall and we’re done. Contact me soon at the above link if you’re looking for fun, relaxed, gorgeous images you will treasure for generations – especially if you want to receive our experiential service. We’ve also stopped delivering “proofs” – I’ve always disliked needing to ask clients to “imagine them like they should be” when viewing their galleries. It’s just not how we want to be perceived, so to that end we fully retouch every image delivered, we want to deliver the kind of service we’d love to receive.

Coming up, I’m so looking forward to the weddings we have scheduled – all around Southeast Texas, Galveston, Houston, and Baton Rouge, it’s going to be a great year!

The weather for both days was perfect – birds were singing and a few clouds were lazily strolling by… great days for looking pretty

Victory! You looked stunning Erin! Have fun on your honeymoon.

We’ve ordered their wedding album now, it should be in soon – a gorgeous 12″x16″ album with metallic pages and metal cover. They added a few of their favorite images from their engagement session up front too. Here’s the web-sized version of the album, please forgive the watermark, they aren’t in the final draft

Fun day

Some of the beautiful details from the day:








All too soon it was time for Kimberly and Kyle to leave on their honeymoon, but not without the love of friends and family and the weight of a thousand rose petals





One last one as they depart – if you look closely you can see Kyle smiling in the mirror, his parents and the beautiful bridesmaids reflected in the car, one happy mother-of-the-bride and one ecstatic bride





Wow, great day Thank you Kimberly and Kyle for the great times over the last year and for allowing me to be a part of it all

We last left our two lovebirds as they were on their way to meeting the one they’ve waited for all their lives – this “first glimpse” was truly magical, watch how the tension builds:

… and dissipates

I was there and I still love to watch the slideshow – it starts slowly and builds speed as she moves across the floor until Krystal is in Ross’s arms, then it slows down again – a kiss, a hug, they step back to admire each other, then more embracing.

Ah… this is how wedding days should be. Experienced. We as a culture race from beginning to end, to the point of throwing bouquets, garters and rice – and most of us look back and the whole day was just a blur. For most cultures, the wedding traditions and celebrations can last an entire day and even extend across multiple days. Why in our culture is the wedding day so fast-paced, hectic, and centered around not seeing each other prior to the wedding?

I understand tradition, embrace it in most respects and honor it in all, but there are times when another way just may be better.



The just-opened tavern provided the perfect intimate backdrop for the afternoon:



We moved from the first look into a time of photographing fun relaxed portraits of the two in their finest. Then, after a few more relaxed and personal moments, the rest of the bridal party began trickling in:









Krystal and Ross practice their first dance just one more time:



Then the ladies begin their entrance:



Since we’ve added a couple of hours on the front-end of the day we use the time to get some great portraits with the bridesmaids, groomsmen and couple. This particular portrait is Lacy’s, Laura’s, Krystal’s, Melanie’s and Britt’s version of a portrait the ladies from “The Hills” are famous for:



Meanwhile, Marius takes the guys in a different direction using a more “lifestyle” approach as Ross and his men relax playing chess and a little poker:







A little more fun than standing at the altar and smiling for all of the formal portraits







We also photographed more formal portraits, and were able to get most of the images usually reserved for the end of the ceremony with the bridal party. It was a time of taking a break in the middle of a rushed day and spending some quality time with old friends.

Too soon, it was time to head to St Jude’s for the ceremony.



We’ll be back!

We began at the Beau Reve Mansion in Groves – always a gorgeous location for photo sessions, they’re now hosting receptions and other events. The furniture is very classic/vintage, and Krystal’s beautiful dress complimented the decor nicely:








We stepped out on the front balcony for a few moments – a string of pearls and a bright red sweater that matched her shoes added the perfect splash of color and texture





Upstairs we found a sitting area in an alcove – the sun backlighting through the window really shows off the texture in the lace in Krystal’s dress; if you look closely you can see some of the little sparkly crystals sprinkled throughout





A nearby bathroom allowed her to touchup her makeup before heading to other locations:





Oh, I meant to mention – Grace Mathis worked her magic on Krystal’s makeup for the session, she’s does wonderful work. If you can do it, professional makeup and hairstyling for your bridal and wedding days make a huge difference in how well your photos turn out, partly in the lift you get in knowing you look your best. Here we see Krystal’s eyes, even in black and white they really look outstanding:





A vertical version of this portrait is the one Krystal chose for her large print in her reception:





And one more of my favorites, her smile is contagious





I’ll have her wedding day coming up very soon!

Part two continues Ashley and AJ’s wedding day story. We last saw Ashley walking up the sidewalk to the sanctuary for First Baptist Church. The table has been set as rose petals strewn about the aisle lay waiting their purpose:





The organist is playing softly in the background, everything is ready as 14 months of preparation slide perfectly into place for the following moments:





AJ has walked in as members of the bridal party are escorted down the aisle – he perks up noticeably when his bride makes her appearance:





Here she is!














All eyes are on AJ as he slips the ring on Ashley’s finger:



We did it!



They rush to their waiting Texas Limousine:



And enter the Grand Ballroom at the MCM Elegante:



… where AJ wastes no time sweeping Ashley off her feet:



Yes, that’s a padlocked chain around AJ’s neck… and yes, Ashley has the key in her other hand:




It was a great party! Ashley gets her groove on just a bit longer before she and AJ make their way to the bridal suite:






Wonderful day! There are a few images below and many more in their gallery. Stay tuned for their wedding album slideshow soon

Below are images of a few of the gorgeous details Wedding Planner Amy Schulze perfectly placed – contemporary and lush are the words I’d use to describe them:

Ceremony Venue: First Baptist Church Nederland
Reception Venue: MCM Elegante Beaumont
Wedding Planner: Amy Schulze
Second Photographer: Marius

Beginning early in the morning, I caught up with Ashley and her girls at La Vie Salon in Nederland – I love the smell of hairspray in the morning!





Ashley was all in a tizzy:





No curlers were harmed in the making of these images! It takes a while for that many girls to get their hair done on one day but it was worth the wait – La Vie does excellent work.

Rings!





Once finished, it was on to the church. The weather was glorious and the Nederland First Baptist Church was ready for the big event:





Ashley’s dress was gorgeous!





But definitely looked better on… here, her bridesmaids assist with the 300 yards of fabric used to lace up the dress:





AJ and his men have arrived, here he’s conserving energy for the big day ahead:





A few getting ready details:





Beautiful Calla Lily bouquets:





Waiting for the big moment can be pretty stressful, here’s a short clip of Ashley’s bridesmaids easing the stress-level a bit with their rendition of “Going to the chapel and we’re, going to get ma a arried..”

OK, the moment has arrived! Ashley and her girls make their way to the foyer of the church:





Stay tuned for Part Two coming soon!

At 8.5″x11″ (opening to 22″) with a nice photo canvas cover and their images on art paper, it was the perfect way to show off their engagement photos and have a personalized custom guestbook for well-wishes.

“Lucky” by Colbie Caillat
Displayed in the foyer area leading into the Grand Ballroom at the Elegante, it was filled with signatures from loved ones by the end of the evening. Ashley opted for lines for signatures, others choose blank spaces, either works well for these and with care will last you forever.

Catering by Bandos, the whole day was beautiful and the story of their wedding day turned out beautiful as well.

You can opt for many covers including one with your favorite image of your day. As long as a puppy or 2 year old doesn’t get ahold of it, these albums will last forever, definitely a family heirloom.

Here she’s touching up her lipstick before we move into full vogue





This is the portrait she chose for display at her reception – it looked really good in metallic with a nice frame





Kyra’s eyes were gorgeous… and I love how her necklace sparkles in the touch of light:





More pretty eyes, smile and sparkly bling We had a lot fo fun that day:





Just a few more of my favorites – photos of a day of frilly shoes, chipotle burgers, limosines, pink socks and a great live band coming soon!











See you soon! Almost finished up in the voting for the favorite wedding image of 2009!

If you remember a different photo that’s a favorite of yours that should be included, just let me know and I’ll get it added asap. Everyone is invited and you can leave a vote by simply leaving your name and a comment at the end of the post below (one vote per person please ). As an added bonus I’ll be sending a mounted print of the winning photo to the couple it belongs to after all the votes have been cast! My apologes in advance if your photo isn’t included yet, we had so many beautiful ones this year it was impossible to sort through them all.

Note: If you are viewing this on our Facebook page, the images are much nicer on the actual blog post.

Enough talk, now on with the show!

1. Starting off, from early in the year we have Mandi’s wedding rings inside her calla lilies:



2. Here Jeanne is getting ready and her bridesmaids are lacing up her wedding dress:



3. Hailee’s bouquet with her bridal portrait in the background:



4. Linda’s dance with her dad:



5. John and Jessie in Austin:



6. Stacey’s wedding could have used an ark:



7. Gwen and Don about to leave for their honeymoon:



8. Christin and her dad right before they walk down the aisle:



9. Morgin and Patrick become man and wife:



10. Before heading off to their reception at the MCM Elegante, Jena and Brandan stop for a few newly married portraits:



11. April and Michael being showered with rose petals after they leave their wedding ceremony:



12. Here you get a sneak peek at the beautiful bride in Devin and Michael’s wedding and reception at the Holiday Inn Plaza:



and lucky number 13. Shonte and Jim relaxing at their Port Arthur Wedding reception:



There you go! Each one of these has a story to tell, I hope they speak to you as well.

Voting will go until midnight, January 31, at which time we’ll shut comments down and declare the winner Feb 1!

Have fun!

Allen

ps: thanks to Robert Hooper for the idea.

Held in the Fountainview room of the MCM Elegante’ hotel, it was standing-room only for friends and family of the groom and his bride. Note: If you are viewing this on our Facebook page, the images are much nicer on the actual blog post.

They look so young still, they were obviously married as small children:





Mom, dad and I went to hotel the night before for a few portraits:





Little did mom know, dad had a reason for doing so, as he shaved his beard of 20+ years off the next day in preparation for the evening’s festivities. When I saw him the next day I only knew it was him when he was talking – he looked like a completely different person

As the party began, people from all over Southeast Texas began coming in for the celebration. Some we’ve seen every day and some we hadn’t seen in 10 or more years, but all were affected in a positive way by the couple – mom recently “retired” after more than 30 years working as an RN and caring for cancer patients, dad still running his business Ayres, Inc. 6 days a week for the last 40 years.

Speaking of legacy, here are a few of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were in attendance:





Cake!





Mom and dad cutting their cake, they make such a lovely couple





See? I told you he looked different!
Dancing and toasts soon followed:








That’s how much he loves her, I’ve never ever seen him dance before! Mom did a little more singing and dancing with her BFF Freda:






Great evening! The couple will celebrate their half-century of wedded bliss with a tour of the Ireland coast (and hills) this Spring.

Note: If you are viewing this on our Facebook page, the images are much nicer on the actual blog post.

OK, back to the wedding: The girls are getting ready, makeup in one room, hair in another, it’s a flurry of activity leading up to the ceremony:





The men step into their tuxes in a few moments, and spend the rest of the time working on bow ties and sipping liquid courage:








The chapel area is beautiful, everything in place:





Shonte gets some last-minute adjusting by her sister and bridesmaid before walking down the aisle:





Beautiful bridal bouquet:





The flower girls and ring bearers are ready and spend their time doing what kids do best:





hehe, they were cute kids
Finally, the moment has arrived – this church had 2 aisles, so the bridal party walked up one aisle and the bride and groom walked the other. Here Jim places a few rose petals for his flower:





Shonte looked beautiful coming up the aisle:





The pastor says a prayer, dedicating the couple to God and each other:





After the unity candle, first kiss and a nice promenade by the couple, it was off to the reception nearby:





Wedding Cake!





Their first dance was lovely, Jim looked like he’d been practicing





A few more of toasting, dancing, and cake cutting below, the whole day was beautiful – thank you Shonte and Jim (and your families) for the warm reception and great day

Let’s get started, there’s a plethora of pretty pictures ahead…

First, we began early with Devin getting ready – lots of activity surrounding her and her 11-hundred bridesmaids, flower girls, mothers, maids and matrons of honor:











Grace is busy getting the color and style just right… it’s still too early to see the bride just yet.





Just a peek:





Meanwhile, Michael and his men were dressed in 2-3 minutes and spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon just hanging out and having fun doing guy stuff – telling jokes, reliving old times, pulling fingers





Bling!





The ballroom venue is ready and all is quiet before the moment comes:





One of Michael’s best friends pauses for a moment of prayer with the groom before the ceremony begins:





Devin is getting a helping hand with getting all the buttons hooked on her dress:





The moment has arrived, my second image of him is a little too bright (hey, I was excited too ) but I love how Michael’s expression changed once the doors were flung open and his bride appeared:











Yay!

After the ceremony, and while the guests were enjoying a cocktail hour in the atrium, we headed off to a local park to get some “we were just married!” portraits:





A few more relaxed portraits then it’s back to the reception where a live band was playing oh so smoothly and the wedding party of umpteen jillion were waiting their grand arrival:





Cake!





Speaking of “Sweet!”, check below for some pictures of the candy bar – if I were merely a guest and not working, you’d have found me in a sugar-induced coma laying somewhere under the tables.

Devin and Michael cut a pretty picture on the dancefloor:





As well as she and her dad:





A little cake eating, champagne toasting, and garter and bouquet tossing:





Great music, heartfelt toasts, dancing and proud parents – a great way to end a beautiful wedding. Thank you for letting me be a part





Makeup: Grace Mathis
Wedding Coordinator: Tyalian (TC) Gauthia
Second Photographer: Drew Loker
Videographer: Eric Hutchison